Passengers travelling through Poole, Dorset, will face significant disruption this weekend as engineering works close the railway line between Bournemouth and Wareham on Sunday 19 April 2026. During the closure, South Western Railway will replace all train services between Bournemouth and Poole and Wareham with buses.
The work is part of an ongoing programme of infrastructure improvements being carried out by Network Rail across the Wessex route. These improvements include recent efforts to upgrade signalling and telecommunications systems to maintain the reliability of the line.
The service changes will affect passengers travelling on the route between London Waterloo and Weymouth, which normally serves the station at Poole. Because bus journeys typically take longer than standard train services, officials are advising passengers to allow extra time for their journeys. Travelers should also be aware that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual throughout the day.
Poole station, which first opened in 1872, usually operates multiple services to London and Weymouth throughout the week. While the railway is closed for these works, passengers are encouraged to plan their travel ahead of time to account for the reliance on road transport.
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